I think everyone loves a baked pasta dish. Maybe it’s because it brings us back to childhood memories, a special event where everybody gathers together to celebrate something special. Whenever I mention the words “taste the love”, it shows how much love went into the making of my Baked Cavatappi.

There are a few different components to this dish. This doesn’t mean it’s hard to do. You’ll see what I’m saying moving forward. The great news is, the dish can be done in advance, and even frozen when stored properly.

 

Are you feeling this? The whole house smells like my Nana’s kitchen.

 

 

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Yields: 8 to 10 servings
Equipment: 1 (9 x 13) baking dish, 1 (12-inch) deep-sided frying pan (rondeau), 1 (6-quart) Dutch oven with lid, large mixing bowl, 1 (10-cup) food processor, 1 (6-quart) stockpot, chef’s knife, cutting board

Ingredients for the Meat:
1 pound ground pork
1 pound of lean ground sirloin
1 pound (5 links) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pint of cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves, finely minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Ingredients for the Tomato Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted Piquillo peppers, puréed
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken stock, unsalted
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned

Ingredients for the Pasta:
1 1/2 pounds of Cavatappi (1 1/2 boxes)
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 (15-ounce) containers of ricotta cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella, freshly grated, reserve 1/2 cup
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated, reserve 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 stick of butter, unsalted, reserve half to *dot the top and half to grease the baking dish
Garnish:
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions for the Tomato Meat Sauce:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a 12-inch deep-sided frying pan, add olive oil and whole fennel seeds over medium-high heat. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the ground pork, ground sirloin, and sweet Italian sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break up all the meat. Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, finely minced fresh rosemary, and thyme, and stir to combine.

Cook until the meat is completely browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon to strain off any excess grease, transfer the browned meat to a large mixing bowl, then set aside.

In a mini food processor, add roasted red peppers, in batches, and process until the peppers are puréed and have a crushed tomato-like consistency. Transfer the processed peppers to a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat a  Dutch oven on medium heat, and add the olive oil. Next, add the finely diced red onion, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, dried oregano, dried rosemary, tomato paste, and light brown sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent and the spices are fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of chicken stock, roasted Piquillo purée, and quartered mushrooms. Continue cooking, occasionally stirring, and reduce the stock by half for another 3-5 minutes. Finally, add both cans of tomatoes. Break up the San Marzano whole tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon.

Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for around 25 minutes. Add the browned meat to the sauce, and cook together for 1 hour more. Remove from the heat, add fresh basil; stir to combine.

While the sauce is simmering, start the pasta.

Instructions for the Pasta:
Undercook the pasta for 3 minutes according to the box directions. Pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

In a large stockpot of boiling salted water, add the pasta and stir occasionally. Undercook the pasta until just al dente, then drain. Use the same pot, add back in the drained cooked pasta, Mascarpone cheese, Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Mix to combine.

Instructions for Assembling the Baked Cavatappi:
First, butter the baking dish. To assemble, add 1 ladle of the meat sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out evenly. Add a layer using half the pasta mixture. Top with half of the reserved Mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Next, add half the meat sauce mixture evenly over the pasta. For the second layer, add 1 1/2 ladles of the meat sauce to the pasta mixture, and mix to combine. Add this pasta mixture as the next layer. Use the remaining meat sauce to cover the pasta.

For the top, sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses evenly all over the top. *Dot the top of the dish with small pieces of unsalted butter.

Tip: Before covering the dish, spray the underside of the foil with non-stick cooking spray so the aluminum cover releases without pulling the cheese with it.

Bake covered for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes before cutting. Garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley. Serve hot.

There you have it, my Baked Cavatappi.

Notes:
1) *Dot: To scatter bits of butter over food. Refer to the picture above.

2) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value matter to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and values can vary, depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2014/11/15/my-recipe-for-lasagna/